Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter



CAT Tracks for February 15, 2007
REGULAR BOE MEETING - MINUTES

The Cairo Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, February 15, 2007. Below is an annotated agenda to serve as minutes.

First of all...

The following is NOT a "retraction", since that would imply that the CAT Tracks had erred in its reporting...which it did not. What was reported in the "minutes" was what was said during the Cairo Board of Education meeting.

However, in the interests of fair and balanced reporting and "equal time"...

Received a telephone call from the Regional Office of Education on Friday afternoon contesting what was stated during last night's BOE meeting...namely, that the ROE was behind in its payments to the Cairo School District under the terms of the lease for the Cairo Community Education Center - the CCEC - the old Junior High building. The representative from the ROE, who is in charge of finances, stated emphatically that the ROE was current in its payments to the District. The representative acknowledged that there were empty spaces in the CCEC because tenants had not been found, but that that was beyond the control of the ROE.

So, again, the Regional Office of Education unequivocally denies that it is behind in payment of monies owed to CSD #1.

Cairo School District No. One
"MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE!"
Cairo Community Educational Center, Board Room
2403 Walnut Street
Cairo, Illinois 62914
Telephone 1-618-734-4102
Fax 1-618-734-4047

CAIRO BOARD OF EDUCATION
CAIRO SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2007

6:00 P.M.

AGENDA

I. Call To Order -6:02 p.m.

II. Roll Call - All members were present.

III. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees:

  • Angela Coleman addressed the BOE with concerns about the mold situation at Bennett Elementary. She wanted to know what was going to be done...didn't want the situation "swept under the rug"...that her daughter, as well as other students and staff, were exhibiting symptoms of exposure to black mold. Superintendent Gary Whitledge indicated that he was prepared to address the situation later in the meeting.
  • A representative of the Southern Seven Health Department was there to make an anti-smoking presentation to the BOE as part of a series of such presentations being made throughout the region. She brought handouts and signs to give to the BOE for distribution and display.
  • A parent of a student asked rose to speak to the BOE. Very quickly, it was decided that the matter needed to addressed in closed session.
  • One of the spectators scheduled for a disbarment hearing rose to speak, but was told that the matter would be handled later in the agenda through a public hearing.
  • Tommy Ellis requested the opportunity to speak to the BOE during closed session and the request was granted.

IV. Approval of Previous Minutes - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  1. Regular Minutes of January 18, 2007
  2. Closed Session Minutes of January 18, 2007
  3. Special Minutes of January 25, 2007
  4. Closed Minutes of January 25, 2007
V. Approval of Agendas - Motion made, seconded, and passed.
  1. Regular Meeting
  2. Closed Meeting

VI. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

VII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Informational - Superintendent Whitledge departed from the items listed on the agenda to report three VERY good news items:

  • CJSHS made AYP...that's the 7th & 8th Grade ISAT scores and the 11th Grade PSAE scores. This means that the entire District made AYP...something that our neighboring schools did NOT do!
  • The second random drug screening was done at CJSHS...and no one tested positive. These tests are conducted by a third party and are conducted without prior notice.
  • As the Superintendent was traveling on January 31st, he received a telephone call that the drug dog was at CJSHS. The dog went home...without finding any trace of drugs.
Superintendent Whitledge told the BOE that everyone in the District should take great pride in these achievements...and should not be shy about spreading the word.

With that, Superintendent Whitledge resumed with the regular agenda items...

  1. IHSA Response - Superintendent Whitledge distributed a letter to BOE members a letter he received from IHSA concerning the recent Cairo-Meridian game.
  2. Public Meeting - February 14 - Superintendent Whitledge reported on the "spirited" meeting that was held in the CJSHS Cafeteria on Wednesday night to address unruly fan behavior.
  3. School Support Team Meeting - This item was skipped. (Superintendent Whitledge had indicated earlier that the "restructuring" that had been scheduled for implementation had been put "on hold" for a year due to CJSHS making AYP...although he wanted the support team to continue meeting and gathering information.
  4. CCEC Building - Superintendent Whitledge indicated that the Regional Office of Education was behind in their payments for the lease of the CCEC Building...and that this situation could not continue. He indicated that the District was coming up short by $34,000 in expected revenues and that it could not continue in this fashion. Either the ROE was going to have to collect more rent from the parties involved (JAMP, SCC, SIU, and CSD #1), or...the building would have to be shut down...and the District Central Office relocated.
  5. Concert/Fund Raiser - Superintendent Whitledge indicated that this event was not going to happen.
  6. Other - This is the point in the agenda where Superintendent Whitledge chose to address the mold situation at Bennett Elementary. He indicated that the classroom most affected had been moved and the architect had been contacted. The architect had recommended Schematic (?) for clean up. The estimated for cleaning and encapsulating the affected area in the one room was $11,300. He indicated that mold samples had been taken and air quality tests run. Further air quality tests would need to be run after the work was completed. Superintendent Whitledge asked the BOE to authorize him to spend up to $15,000 for the project. Upon questioning, Superintendent Whitledge indicated that "a trace" of mold had been detected in an adjoining room. It was revealed that there had been a humidity problem in that room for the past couple of years...described as "raining in the classroom". Superintendent Whitledge reported that Tracy Bohde had discovered a major steam leak under the building that had followed pipes up to the affected second floor classroom. BOE member Danny Brown stated that he did not feel comfortable keeping the building open under these circumstances. Further discussion led to Vernon Stubblefield making a motion to close Bennett Elementary on Friday. When Superintendent Whitledge indicated that air quality sample would not be available for several days, Mr. Stubblefield amended his motion to close Bennett until such time that air quality tests showed that the mold problem had been eradicated. The motion was made, seconded, and passed.

  7. Checks Deposited - District Account

    191,328.68 - State Aid-Dec. lst Payment
    1,116.02 - Driver Education
    64,672.00 - Title I Low Income
    2,407.06 - State Lunch
    1,236.00 - Safe & Drug Free Schools
    3,134.00 - Title VI Rural Education
    952.00 - Tech-Enhancing Education
    5,182.00 - Tap Grant Payment
    17,837.82 - Federal Lunch
    8,342.08 - Federal Breakfast
    3,334.00 - Title I Comp. School
    3,334.00 - Title I Comp. School
    3,334.00 - Title I Comp. School
    1,260.00 - Safe & Drug Free Schools
    15,162.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
    34,619.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    1,550.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    34,209.17 - Special Education Transportation
    25,274.30 - Regular Transportation
    44,818.82 - Special Education Extraordinary
    191,328.68 - State Aid - Dec. - 2nd Payment
    2,362.44 - State Lunch
    42,114.62 - Special Education Personnel
    50.00 - Rent - Laidlaw

IX. Public Hearings on Resolutions to bar spectators from attendance at school sponsored events for one calendar year - Six people were notified by the District by letter that they faced disbarrment from any athletic contests involving Cairo for one calendar year. A hearing was conducted on each of the six individuals...three of whom were present. The first hearing began at 7:07 p.m. and the sixth hearing concluded at 7:40 p.m.

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 7:44 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 9:13 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

  1. Resolution to bar spectators from attendance - BOE President Joe Griggs asked for a motion on each of the six spectators facing disbarrment. Of the six, four were banned for one calendar year...from both home and away games. Disbarrment proceedings against the other two spectators failed for lack of a motion.
  2. Action on previous closed session minutes - Skipped...no mention.
  3. A motion was made and seconded to terminate Lorenzo Nelson immediately as asbestos manager. The motion failed. President Griggs noted that the District was paying two people to do one job.
  4. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to extend Ken Hamilton's contract by 20 days.
  5. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept a building inspection report conducted by the ROE. The District has 60 days to respond to the report.
  6. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to authorize up to $15,000 for emergency repairs to Bennett Elementary.
  7. Superintendent Whitledge asked the BOE to grant him a leave of absence and to negotiate the termination of his contract. The BOE took no action on the request. (Yes...you read that correctly!)
  8. Superintendent Whitledge reminded the BOE members that the next ISBE training would be conducted on February 26th at 5:30 p.m at Meridian.
As the BOE was about to adjourn, Mr. Ellis reminded the BOE that he had not been given the opportunity to talk to them in closed session.

So...the BOE voted to enter closed session at 9:25 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 9:34 p.m.

XII. Old Business

XIII. School Board Assn.

XIV. Adjourn - A motion was made, seconded, and passed to adjourn at 9:35 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WHICH MAY BE OF A TEMPORARY CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION PROBABLE, IMMINENT, FILED OR PENDING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR RELATED ISSUES.

1